Big Pharma continues to make record profits behind public healthcare.

I’m from a socialist country where the healthcare system is public, or at least that’s what they make you believe. But the sad truth is that it’s anything but public. Not just because we pay part of that healthcare through taxes, but because behind it, there is one of the most lucrative businesses in the world; the drugs. And no, I’m not referring to Pablo Escobar’s legacy, I’m talking about the big Pharma bucks.

The other day I watched an amazing documentary, Science Fair, which if you haven’t seen it you should. It starts with Jack Andraka, an enthusiastic high school student who won the Science Fair in 2012 because he found a method to possibly detect the early stages of pancreatic and other cancers.

And although that was a heartfelt moment, it just raised an obvious question to me; if a fifteen year old kid can find a method to detect cancer, are you telling me that the big labs with all that money and the best researchers in the world couldn’t find that method yet? It’s a bit ridiculous, if you ask me. But unfortunately, the healthcare system is making way too much money with cancer to find a cure or an early detection. The same with HIV and many other conditions. Why cure it when you can make it chronic and make a ton of money out of it?

Bayer, for example, famously known for bringing us the iconic Aspirin, made a revenue in 2018 of $39.586 billion with a net profit of €1.711 billions…not so much the revenue of a “public” servant. And I’m not saying they shouldn’t make money, they have to eat and have bills to pay like the rest of us, but that immense amount of money at the expense of people’s well-being is just plain wrong and shouldn’t be allowed. Plus, Bayer is not even in the top ten most profitable companies. Johnson & Johnson leads the list with an obscene number of $387.331 billion, followed by Pfizer with $252.289 billion. I don’t want to bore you with numbers, but the list goes on and on with names you might haven’t even heard of, since these types of companies tend to keep a low profile.

You might think the doctors are the ones in charge of your health. But truthfully, the doctors are just puppets; the ones calling the shots are the labs. It’s their kingdom, their rules.

 I have a dear friend who is an amazing researcher for cirrhosis, and she shared that sadly, researchers don’t have the freedom to investigate what they think the cure could be. They are stuck to investigate how a specific drug (the one funding that investigation) interacts under certain conditions for that illness. Period. On the other hand, doctors are often invited to fancy conferences, courses (all financed by the pharmaceutical industry), and they are given expensive presents like trips, or cars, so they would feel better prescribing the businesses’ drugs to their patients. That is called bribery, but somehow they get away with it.

As you can see, the system is pretty shady and it’s designed in a way that while it fixes one health issue, it also creates another. A pill might take away your headache, but it will give you high blood pressure. Remember, all meds have side effects. ALL. So choose wisely. Starting by taking your health in your own hands. Your doctor is there to help you, but you should know your body, what foods make you feel good, which ones not so much, what type of exercise is right for you…better than anyone else. Don’t let your doctor dictate that.

 Secondly, ask questions. When your doctors prescribe you something ask as many questions as you need: “what is this for”, “what are the side effects”, “what would be an alternative home remedy?”, “what happens if I don’t take it?” And then, depending on the answers, see if it suits you or not.

And thirdly, next time you are going to swallow any over the counter pill, ask yourself, “do I really need this?” Maybe if you are taking an anti-anxiety to calm those nerves, you might want to substitute it with a meditation practice or a calming tea. It will take longer, but it would be better, because everything good in life, including health, it doesn’t come in a pill or easy, but it’s worth it.